Washing machine



o I 0 l1 0 I I J I [E I W o 4 a l o 5 o 9 o o 1 o o 0 o I o 0 o I v m oo I a a a. INVENTOR.

BernardL.EngeZIe,

-May 12,1942.

B. L. ENGELKE WASHING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1940- -2 She ets-Sheet 1 y1942- B. ENGELKE 2,282,999

WASHING MACHINE Filed June a, 1940 2 Shets-Sheet 2 o o v o 0 o o o v I22 f l :I I'l ll V' a/M b Patented May 12, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention is a washing machine of the oscillating-washing andcentrifugally-drying type; and has for its object to enclose the drivemechanism in a housing which contains a lubricant, with drive shaftsprojecting from the housing and rotated at different speeds, and withoperating connections and a selective clutch spaced from the housing andadapted to selectively oscillate or rotate the basket of the washingmachine by the respective drive shafts.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a friction clutch forselectively oscillating or rotating the basket of the washing machine bythe respective drive shafts.

The invention thus provides a drive mecha nism which is a unitaryassembly, with this unit adequately lubricated and with the lubricantsealed in the housing of the unit, and with the drive shafts whichproject from this housing and which are rotated at different speedsadapted for convenient operative connection with the shaft of the basketof the washing machine for selectively oscillating or rotating thebasket.

Further objects of the invention will be readily understood from thefollowing description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the washing machine.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are transverse sections on the lines 2-2, 33 and 4-4respectively of Fig. 1.

The washing machine comprises a tub i mounted on a casing 2 for thedrive mechanism and the operating connections, with a basket 3 journaledin the tub at the upper end of a ped-' estal 4, and with a shaft 5 foroscillating or rotating the basket projecting from the lower end of thepedestal and journaled in the casing 2 as shown at 6.

Drive mechanism is enclosed in a housing 1 which is mounted in thecasing 2, with shafts 8-9 projecting from the housing into the casing 2and adapted for rotation at different speeds. The projecting shaft 8 isaxially alined with the shaft 5, and the shaft 9 projects upwardly atone side of the shaft 5 with a crank and pitman 10-! I at the upper endof the shaft 8. The pitman I I and the shaft 8 are adapted for selectiveoperative connection with the shaft 5 by a double friction clutch l2which is mounted on the shaft 5 within the casing 2.

The shafts 8-9 are journaled in the housing I at anti-friction bearingsBot-8b and at antifriction bearings 9a-9b respectively, the bearings8a-9a being at the base of the housing i and the bearings 8b-9b being atthe top of the housing, with the shafts 8-9 projecting upward 1y throughthese last mentioned bearings. The shafts 8-9 are rotated at differentspeeds by a transverse shaft H which is journaled in antifrictionbearings I4a-l4b in the side walls of the housing I, with one end of theshaft I4 projecting from the housing 1 and into the casing 2 and rotatedby a driving connection which is shown as an electric motor [5, mountedin the casing 2 and having a belt drive l6 for the shaft H. A worm geardrive I! which is enclosed in the housing 1 between the shaft [4 and theshaft 8 rotates the shaft 8 at relatively high speed, and a belt drivei8 which is enclosed in the housing I between the shaft 8 and the shaft9 rotates the shaft 9 at relatively low speed.

The double friction clutch 12 comprises longitudinally spaced annuli28-2l which have friction faces and which are journaled on the shaft 5in the casing 2. The pitman II is pivoted to a radial arm 22 of theannulus 20 for oscillating this annulus, and the projecting end of theshaft 8 is keyed to the annulus 2| as shown at 23. A sleeve 24 issplined at 25 on the shaft 5, between the friction annuli 2ll-2l,whereby friction faces 26-21 at the respective ends of the sleeve may beselectively engaged with the friction faces of the respective annuli2ll-2l, or the sleeve may be shifted to a neutral position disengagingboth friction faces 26-21 from the cooperating friction faces of theannuli 28-2i.

The sleeve 24 may be shifted by a yoke and lever 28-29, with the end ofthe lever projecting from the casing 2 and terminating in a handle 30.When the handle is shifted to intermediate neutral position the clutchI2 is disengaged and the drive mechanism in the housing i and theprojecting drive shafts 8-9 may thus be rotated without oscillating orrotating the shaft 5.

By shifting the handle 30 to the position shown at Fig. .1, the frictionfaces 20-26 are engaged, thereby oscillating the shaft 5 by the crankand pitman operating connection iii-ll and thus providing relatively lowspeed oscillating-washing movement for the basket 3. By shifting thehandle 30 to its opposite limit of movement the friction faces 2i-2l areengaged, thereby rotating the shaft 5 by the shaft 8 and thusprovidingrelatively high speed centrifugal-drying rotation for the basket 3.

The invention thus completely encloses the drive mechanism in thehousing 1, thereby providing a unitary drive mechanism adapted formounting in the casing 2, with the drive shafts 1-4 which project fromthe housing I adapted to be driven at diflerent speeds by the commondrive shaft I4, and with the housing 1 adapted to contain a lubricantwhich lubricates all parts of the drive mechanism but is sealed againstescape of lubricant from the housing 1 into the casing 2. The unitarydrive mechanism is adapted for mounting in the casing 2 so that itsprojecting drive shafts 8-! are adapted for convenient assembly withrelation to the operating connections which are provided respectively bythe crank and pltman ll-il and by the key 23, withthese operatingconnections clear of the housing I. 'Ifhe double friction clutch I2 isalso adapted for convenient operative assembly with relation to-theoperating connections. clear of the housing I, for selectively shiftingthe clutch for oscillating or rotating the shaft 5 or for stoppingmovement of aasaeoe the shaft, and thereby oscillating or rotating thebasket 8 or completely arresting its movement.

I claim:

In drive mechanism for a washing machine basket, a main shaft foroscillating or rotating the basket, drive shafts, a double clutchcomprising elements adapted to respectively form.

said crank and said radial arm.

BERNARD L. ENGELKE.

